So, JD Vance got on a plane for a high-stakes **JD Vance Armenia and Azerbaijan visit**. He went to a part of the world most people at your local grocery store couldn't point to on a map, even for a hundred bucks. It’s a mess, it’s always been a mess, and now the United States wants a strategic piece of that action. Let’s be real about what is happening here: this isn’t a friendly vacation. This is **Trump’s transactional diplomacy** at its coldest and hardest. The news folks call it "historic," but that’s just a fancy keyword for "we haven’t bothered with these people in a while, but now we want something."

The boss back home loves a deal. He doesn't care about feelings or the deep history of the **Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict**. He cares about money, power, and leverage. Russia used to be the big dog in this yard, acting like the landlord who collects rent. But **Russia’s influence in the South Caucasus** is crumbling because they are busy with their own disastrous war next door. While the cat is away, the mice start looking for new cheese—and here comes Vance with a suitcase full of promises to push Russia and Iran out.

It is all so cynical it makes your head hurt. Whether it's the Left talking about human rights or the Right claiming **US foreign policy strength**, it's all just greed wearing a suit. Vance is there to close the sale. He is telling them, "Forget Moscow. We have the cash." In the end, it is just another day where powerful men play games with other people's lives. Vance gets a photo op, Trump gets to say he beat Russia, and the people on the ground just hope the new boss isn't worse than the old one.

<h3>References & Fact-Check</h3> <ul> <li><strong>Primary Source:</strong> <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/02/11/vance-armenia-azerbaijan-trump-diplomacy/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Vance visits Armenia, Azerbaijan as Trump eyes deals in Russia’s sphere</a> (Washington Post)</li> <li><strong>Context:</strong> This analysis interprets the geopolitical shift of the US engaging with the Caucasus region to counter Russian and Iranian influence as of Feb 2026.</li> <li><strong>Key Concepts:</strong> Transactional Diplomacy, South Caucasus Geopolitics, US-Russia Relations.</li> </ul>